Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Transbound Emerg Dis. 2022 Sep;69(5):e2688-e2693. doi: 10.1111/tbed.14619. Epub 2022 Jun 29.
Curbing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic requires a thorough understanding of risk factors for transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent. Institutions of higher education present unique challenges for controlling disease spread because of features inherent to these settings. Our objective was to determine risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection among a university student population in the northeastern USA during the spring and fall 2021 semesters, using the case-control study design. Cases were defined as students with a newly diagnosed SARS-CoV-2 infection detected either through the robust PCR-based surveillance testing program on campus or through healthcare testing if symptoms compatible with COVID-19 were present. Controls were defined as students with negative SARS-CoV-2 status, based on consistently negative PCR results at the time of selection. A comprehensive questionnaire was administered to each student enrolled in the study, covering a broad range of campus life activities. A total of 446 cases and 1,185 controls were included in this study. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that recent party attendance (adjusted OR = 2.3, p < .0001), recently visiting a bar (aOR = 1.6, p = .007), living in a campus residence hall (aOR = 1.6, p = .001), fraternity/sorority membership (aOR = 1.8, p = .002), and recent travel (aOR = 1.3, p = .04) were associated with being a COVID-19 case. Having an on-campus job was negatively associated with being a COVID-19 case (aOR = 0.6, p = .0003). Among cases, the most commonly reported symptoms were cough (43.9%), fatigue (38.1%) and sore throat (30.3%). These findings can be used to inform the development of COVID-19 mitigation strategies and public health outreach efforts in university settings, thus reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission among students and helping to preserve the vital education and research missions of these institutions.
遏制 2019 冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行需要彻底了解传播 SARS-CoV-2 的危险因素，SARS-CoV-2 是该病的病原体。由于这些环境固有的特点，高等教育机构在控制疾病传播方面带来了独特的挑战。我们的目的是使用病例对照研究设计，确定 2021 年春季和秋季美国东北部一所大学学生群体中 SARS-CoV-2 感染的危险因素。病例定义为通过校园内强大的基于 PCR 的监测检测计划或出现与 COVID-19 相符的症状时通过医疗保健检测发现的新诊断 SARS-CoV-2 感染的学生。对照定义为 SARS-CoV-2 状态为阴性的学生，其基于选择时始终为阴性的 PCR 结果。向每位参加研究的学生发放了一份综合问卷，涵盖了广泛的校园生活活动。本研究共纳入 446 例病例和 1185 例对照。多变量逻辑回归分析显示，最近参加派对（调整后的 OR = 2.3，p <.0001）、最近去酒吧（aOR = 1.6，p =.007）、居住在校园宿舍（aOR = 1.6，p =.001）、联谊会成员（aOR = 1.8，p =.002）和最近旅行（aOR = 1.3，p =.04）与 COVID-19 病例相关。在校内有工作与 COVID-19 病例呈负相关（aOR = 0.6，p =.0003）。在病例中，最常报告的症状是咳嗽（43.9%）、疲劳（38.1%）和喉咙痛（30.3%）。这些发现可用于为大学环境中 COVID-19 缓解策略和公共卫生宣传工作提供信息，从而减少学生中 SARS-CoV-2 的传播，并有助于保护这些机构的重要教育和研究使命。
